Jim Irsay Suspended Six Games, Fined $500 Thousand

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been suspended six games and fined $500 thousand by the National Football League. This punishment comes on the heels of the eccentric owner pleading guilty to one misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Irsay was arrested on DUI and drug possession charges early this past offseason.

In addition to this, Irsay is banned from interacting with fans or media on social media regarding the Colts and the NFL. This means that the league all but banned Irsay from Twitter, a site that has featured some interesting tweets from the long-time Colts owner.

Here is the full press release of the suspension with details from the league.

Following his plea of guilty to one misdemeanor count of driving while impaired, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been suspended for the team’s first six regular-season games and fined $500,000 for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy, the NFL announced today. Mr. Irsay will be eligible to return following the Colts’ game against the Houston Texans on October 9.

Terms of the suspension imposed by Commissioner Roger Goodell include the following:

– During the suspension, which takes effect at 5 p.m. ET tomorrow, Mr. Irsay may not be present at the club’s facility, may not attend any practices or games, may not represent the club at league or league committee meetings or at any other team or league event, and may not conduct media interviews or engage in social media regarding any team or league matters.

– In addition, Mr. Irsay is fined $500,000, the maximum permitted under league rules.

– Mr. Irsay will be subject to ongoing treatment, counseling, and testing as determined by medical professionals and the Indiana court.

Commissioner Goodell noted that no draft choice forfeiture or other competitive sanction will be assessed because the conduct did not have competitive consequences.

In a letter to Mr. Irsay, Commissioner Goodell said, “I have stated on numerous occasions that owners, management personnel and coaches must be held to a higher standard than players. We discussed this during our meeting and you expressed your support for that view, volunteering that owners should be held to the highest standard.”

Many within the NFL have been waiting to see what type of suspension Irsay would receive, especially after San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith got nine games for his numerous off-field situations. There were some who continued to draw the conclusion that Goodell would give Irsay preferential treatment as an owner. But that’s obviously not the case here.

Reading over the full details, Irsay’s suspension is clear cut. He is not allowed to participate in any football-related activities for the first six games of the season. Considering that this has been his livelihood for so many years now, the suspension does hit him hard. And that’s exactly what it’s meant to do.